


Beneath the Mask

by Budderfire



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, M/M, Mementos (Persona 5)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 10:04:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14330100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Budderfire/pseuds/Budderfire
Summary: “You know, if you’re going to start stalking me, you could at the very least study up on the practice.” As usual, Akechi Goro is simply walking to Leblanc after a long day. However, a certain escapee catches up to him, and he can't ignore him, nor the feelings he stirs up, mostly the bad ones.





	Beneath the Mask

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is part of series I'm working on. For background, Kawakami, Sojiro, and Mishima have personas, and this will be explained in the next installment I finish. Basically, everyone went insane after they lost the battle against Akechi, but a change of heart was somehow triggered in him by Akira, throwing his last bit of sanity over the edge. Akechi managed to get them into a mental hospital of sorts, and helped run it with Sae, so they could figure out how to fix the Phantom Thieves. But they all escaped, and Akechi has to dismantle their palaces to free them. And then, a few confidants gain personas and become part of the new Phantom Thieves. (This was an excuse to give some of my favorite confidants personas... and give Akechi redemption.)  
> Update:4/16/2018 How is that every time I write a one shot, it’s a sudden success?

“You know, if you’re going to start stalking me, you could at the very least study up on the practice.” Akechi sighed, turning around. He’d expected one of the others, but it was a shock to turn around and see black hair and dark eyes.

“Sorry, it must be an inconvenience to you. But maybe when you started killing people, you should have studied on it, too.”  
Akechi sighed, and pulled out his umbrella. “If you’re going to bother me, I’m just going to recapture you and drop you back in your cell. I’m sure the Shiko Fujikome will be very pleased to have you back in treatment.”

“You know you wouldn’t.”

“I would. It’s my job.”

“Ah, Akechi, always so high and mighty, always better than everyone else.”

“Stop that. It’s not going to work.”

“Oh, you’d love for me to continue. You want to repent so badly, but the problem is that you pity yourself so much. Why not just own you actions, and go back to being a psychotic little-”  
“Shut up. I am not psychotic. Unlike you, I have pills. So please, go back to whichever hole you crawled out of to give me shit, and I’ll just call it even and not send you back to your padded cell.”   
“Aw, giving up so soon?”

“I can see why Arsene abandoned you.” Akechi put venom in his voice, speeding up his steps. It was a cruel move, throwing out the obvious pain. However, he did not expect to get pulled back, and hear a growl in his ear.

“Now you’ve done it.” Akira clenched out, his hot breath like a warning sign. “That’s like asking me to tear you into pieces.”  
“With what army?”

“Mementos. Didn’t you notice?”

“Hilarious. Well, feel free to try. I’d be content to simply destroy the palace right now, and have you back by my side.”

“Who’d want to be by a murder’s side?”

“I’d like to ask the same to you.” The nails dug deep on the base of his neck, and a harsh growl followed Akira’s words.

“Don’t you ever compare me to you.”

“I am, theoretically, much better. I threw away my selfish plan, and focused on saving you seven. I was able to change. However, you all were incapable.” Akechi slid his phone from his pocket, opening the mementos app. “I’ve been able to change. I’ve been able to become someone worth caring about. I’m not a perfect prince anymore. And yet, I’m not a psychotic wreck, either. I’m myself. But you…” He turned around, looking Akira dead in the eyes. “You’ve let anger and spite against me take hold of you. You face a deadly sin. You’ve let wrath control you. So I’m doing what I can to save all of you.”  
Akira stood, shellshocked. He hadn’t expected Akechi to be so level-headed, and so detached. However, it still couldn’t cool his anger.

“It’s going to destroy you in the process.”  
“I’ve accepted that fact, and it’s fine. I don’t care if it destroys me. I still care about you, Akira. You were my first friend.” But before he could press the button to exit mementos, the phone was slapped from his hand.

“But you still hate yourself for feeling more, don’t you?”  
“You are not going to make me become you.” Akechi whispered, stepping back.

“You see yourself in me, don’t you?”

“I do, but I’m certainly never going to fall like you did.” Akechi slowly stepped forwards, tears welling up. “This hurts, you know. I can’t save you yet. You still haven’t revealed yourself. But I promise, when that time comes, I will not allow you to fall deeper than you already have.” He fell forwards, pulling Akira into a hug. “I promise you, I’ve become a better person. So wait for me.”

He stepped away, picking up his phone. “Just wait for me, and I’ll come find you again.”

“Wait.” Akira stared, fighting a hand that tried to reach out for Akechi.

“What is it?”

Akira hurred forwards, clutching a fist. Expecting the worst, Akechi braced for the worst, expecting a punch. Akira grabbed the front of Akechi’s shirt, glaring at him. However, bitter pain didn’t follow. Instead, a hand grabbed the one holding a phone, and Akira’s face grew closer, ending in a kiss. He pressed the exit button, and in a moment, he’d vanished, leaving Akechi standing on the sidewalk, holding his phone, umbrella laying on the rainy street.

\---

“What? You saw him?” Kawakami yelped, jumping up from the coffee bar. Sojiro sighed, shaking his head.

“Are you sure that those pills aren’t messing with your head?”

“I’m sure of it. I’m going to get it fixed, but look at my phone.” He held it up, showing off the dent in the screen.

“Woah… you usually keep that thing in mint condition.” Mishima commented, placing his cup back on the bar.

“Yes. I wouldn’t drop this thing if my life depended on it.”

“Well, I know you wouldn’t lie, but maybe you spaced out and dropped it?”

“I know, it sounds far-fetched, but honestly.” He looked around the cafe, and it was lucky there were no patrons besides themselves. “You’re all Phantom Thieves. Getting drawn into mementos isn’t something you should be superstitious about.”

“But… why would he show himself to you?”  
“To make me feel bad about myself, probably. I mean, I did betray the original Phantom Thieves…”

“Good point. However, it is getting rather late, and I still have a mementos mission to complete, if I have any hope of grading tomorrow night.” Kawakami placed her payment on the counter, picked up her bag, and then left.

“So, are you two spending the night here?”

“Yes. I’d rather not go to my apartment tonight. Something tells me I’m going to have bad dreams.”

“I guess I’ll stay. I mean, it’s better than going home.” Mishima shrugged, smiling.

As Sojiro left, they heard a mutter. “Someone with decent parenting skills needs to take care of these kids.”


End file.
